IESGR Mission
Gain
and maintain active support
from all public and private
employers for the men and
women of the National Guard
and Reserve.

Customers

Civilian
Employers

Guard and
Reserve
Members

Relevance

The
nation's Reserve components
(referring to the total of
all National Guard members
and Reserve forces from all
branches of the military)
comprise approximately 46
percent of our total
available military manpower.

In this environment,
civilian employers play a
critical role in the defense
of the nation by complying
with existing employment
laws protecting the rights
of workers who serve in the
Reserve component.

About IESGR

Illinois Employer Support of
the Guard and Reserve has a
statewide organizational
structure to support the
following functions:

Operate
a proactive
program
directed at
employers,
employees,
and
communities
that ensures
understanding
and
appreciation
of the role
of the
National
Guard and
Reserve in
the
Department
of Defense
(DoD) Total
Force
Policy.

Encourage
and assist
employee
participation
in National
Guard and
Reserve
training
programs and
on military
duty without
civilian job
impediments
of any kind,
to include
encouraging
voluntary
compliance
with federal
and state
statutes
governing
employment
and
reemployment
rights of
Reserve
component
members.

Encourage
interaction
between
National
Guard and
Reserve
units and
their
communities
to promote
public
understanding
of the
National
Guard and
Reserve and
encourage
partnerships
between
civilian
organizations
and military
units in the
community.

Assist
in
preventing,
resolving,
or reducing
employer
and/or
employee
problems and
misunderstandings
that result
from
National
Guard or
Reserve
membership,
training, or
duty
requirements
through
information
services and
informal
mediation.
Assist in
educating
National
Guard and
Reserve
members
regarding
their
obligations
and
responsibilities
to
employers.

Use the
military
chain of
command to
promote
better
understanding
of the
importance
of
maintaining
positive
working
relations
between
employers
and their
Reserve
component
employees,
in order to
sustain
National
Guard and
Reserve
participation.

Solicit
the
assistance
of military
agencies,
military
training
schools, and
military and
civilian
associations
in educating
the Reserve
forces about
their rights
and
responsibilities
regarding
terms and
conditions
of civilian
employment,
as
stipulated
in the
Uniformed
Services
Employment
and
Reemployment
Rights Act
(USERRA).

Recruit
and develop
volunteer
leaders at
the national
and local
levels to
promote the
development
of employer
personnel
policies and
practices
that
accommodate
and
facilitate
employee
participation
in National
Guard and
Reserve
activities.

The
primary emphasis for a
comprehensive employer
outreach program is directed
towards known employers of
the Guard and Reserve.
Since 9-11 our service
members and families have
made great sacrifices and
played a tremendous role in
fighting terrorism and
keeping our country secure.
The readiness of the Guard
and Reserve components is at
an all-time high and we can
take great pride in that
achievement. However, we are
now seeing unemployment and
underemployment levels among
members of the Guard and
Reserve that are cause for
concern. A secure job
provides service members and
their families with peace of
mind, which is increasingly
important as up to 22% of
Guard and Reserve members
face unemployment.

In this time of economic
uncertainty, ESGR is
focusing on connecting
employers with the talented
pool of service members and
spouses, with the intent of
facilitating meaningful
employment opportunities.

The Employment
Initiative Program (EIP)
is a collaborative
effort with federal agencies
- including the Department
of Labor (Veterans Affairs),
the Department of Veterans
Affairs, the Small Business
Administration and the
Office of Personnel
Management - to create
efficiencies, enhance the
employment process and serve
as an effective resource for
service members and
employers.

Hero2Hired (H2H), a Yellow
Ribbon Reintegration
Program, is a comprehensive
employment program. The
web-based portion of H2H -
H2H.jobs - features a job
search site and online
community that is free for
Veterans, service members
and employers. H2H also
conducts employment-related
events throughout the nation
as well as state-specific
job events hosted by ESGR
across the country. The
focus of both components of
H2H is to connect employers
with the talented pool of
Guard and Reserve service
members and spouses who are
looking for work. Employment
tools on H2H.jobs include:

Military
skills
translator -
converts
military
experience
to civilian
career paths

Job
seeker
profile
builders

Social
networking

Hiring
events

Virtual
career fairs

Mobile
phone apps

A
Facebook
application

Hiring a
service member makes good
business sense. These are
disciplined and skilled
workers who display pride,
leadership and
professionalism in what they
do. They understand the
mission of their civilian
jobs and make it a priority
to get results, all while
displaying a strong work
ethic.

It is our goal to work
leverage our partnerships
and organizational alliances
to improve employment
opportunities for
transitioning service
members. EIP will use these
partnerships and alliances
and the ESGR volunteer
network to help connect
employers and service
members and communicate the
many employment resources
available to them.

Again, the primary EIP
resource for employers and
veterans and Guard and
Reserve service members is
at:

IDES is your direct link to Illinois workforce services: job placement and referrals. IDES and its partner agencies have a variety of resources that can help veterans find jobs and transition back to the civilian work force. Veterans employment representatives are available at local IDES offices and Illinois WorkNet Centers to help veterans access employment services.

Through Illinois JobLink, IDES is your direct link to Illinois workforce services, job placement and referrals. IDES and its partner agencies have a variety of resources that can help veterans find jobs and transition back to the civilian work force. Veterans employment representatives are available at local IDES offices and Illinois WorkNet Centers to help veterans access employment services.

Illinois JobLink is an Internet-based job search tool that features current job openings. Go to www.illinoisjoblink.com and log in to Illinois JobLink. Click on "Find a Job" and create a basic or plus account based on your needs.

DOL-VETS serves veterans and service members providing resources and expertise to assist and prepare them to obtain meaningful careers, maximize employment opportunities and protect their employment rights.

A partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program and the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) program. The two programs work together in partnership to provide direct job service to VR&E participants on a national as well as local level.

Troops to Teachers provides counseling and referral services to military personnel interested in beginning a second career in public education as a teacher. The DANTES Troops to Teachers office will help applicants identify teacher certification requirements, programs leading to certification and employment opportunities.

Helmets to Hardhats is a national program that connects National Guard, Reserve and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training and employment opportunities within the construction industry.

VetJobs is available to assist all members of "the United States military family". This includes officer and enlisted, active duty, transitioning military, Reservists, veterans, retirees, of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Merchant Marine, National Guard, Navy, NOAA and Public Health Service along with spouses, eligible former spouses, widows, widowers and dependents and DoD civilians.